Eraser holding means



- Jan. 3. 1939. H. J. ROTH 2, 1

CPAS IR HOLDING MEANS Filed Aug. 19, 1937' INVENTOR fiw (72% TTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERASER. HOLDING NIEAN S York Application August 19, 1937, Serial No. 159,833

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an eraser holding means especially adapted for use on lead penoils, and has for its principal object the provision of means for mounting an eraser in a support member in such a manner that the maximum usefulness of the eraser may be obtained.

In accomplishing the principal object of my invention means are provided for engaging the eraser in a central transverse plane in such a manner that when one end of the eraser is worn down to the centrally located engaging means, the eraser may be withdrawn from the holder and reversed in position therein, thereby presenting a new or unused end of the eraser. This arrangement is especially advantageous when the eraser is used on a lead pencil, as in the majority of cases, with the eraser of approximately the same diameter as the pencil, the eraser becomes worn out and useless long before the pencil is used up. Previous attempts to solve this problem have resulted in the enlargement of the diameter of the eraser and holder, but this brings diificulties in that the enlarged holder causes an unsightly protuberance when the pencil is put in the pocket of a user, and also defeats the purpose for which many lead pencils and the like are made hexagonal, i. e. to prevent rolling. Another method of providing erasing means during the entire life of a pencil is to place a separate cap eraser over the holder, but this necessitates the purchase and stocking of these separate erasers.

My construction is such as to obviate the above objectionable features in prior art constructions.

The improvement herein set forth will be readily discerned by reference to the annexed drawing wherein Figure 1 is an elevational view on an enlarged scale of one end of a device which may be a pencil, showing one form of my eraser engaging means and its holder, the holder being broken away to show the internal construction.

Figure 2 is a view of the eraser Withdrawn from the holder.

, Figure 3 is a View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In the drawing, l is a tubular holder or ferrule adapted to be fastened in any satisfactory manner on any member 2 such as a pencil. The holder l is enlarged at the eraser end 3 to receive a rubber eraser 4 which as shown is rectangular in shape. The eraser 4 has mounted centrally intermediate its ends a metallic band 5 which is formed with a rib or fin [3 to be located on one edge of the eraser, while the free ends l4 and iii of the band are adapted to be compressed to form a rib or fin on the opposite edge of the eraser 4. As shown, the band 5 is a split metal band having a rib l3 in the form of a crimp disposed intermediate the ends of the split band. The rib l3 and the rib formed by the parts l4 and I5 are adapted to slide into the slots l2 in the holder l, and when so inserted into the holder the indentations IS on opposite sides of the band 5 are pressed into the rubber so as to hold the band securely in its central position. When the split band 5 encircles the eraser 4 and the band and eraser are inserted into the ferrule I, the engagement of the ribs or the fins with the inner ends of the slots l2 limit the insertion of the band and eraser into the ferrule. The ribs or fins also project from the ferrule and serve as finger pieces for manipulating the band and eraser. The split band 5 is releasable from the eraser to permit adjustment of the band on the eraser when the band and eraser are removed from the ferrule.

While I have shown the application of the eraser in combination with a holder attached to some member 2, which may be a pencil, the holder I may be of some other form, for example the holder may be a casing which carries leads below the eraser, it being understood that the casing is formed at the eraser end in one of the ways hereinbefore described. Furthermore the holder I may be in the form of a casing which Will take a brush, such as shown in Faber Patent 1,373,062, or the casing may be such as to contain leads for a pencil, together with the brush. Also, my improvement may be used in an extension pencil holder.

From the above it will be understood that my invention is capable of numerous applications and therefore I do not wish to be limited, except as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Means for reversibly holding an eraser in a holder including a positioning device attached to the eraser centrally between its ends, the holder having a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinally extending slots in one end, the positioning device comprising a split metal band crimped at its center to form a rib and its free ends shaped to form an oppositely disposed rib when the two limbs of the band are compressed for insertion into said holder slots, said band having indentations for gripping into the eraser when the limbs of the band are compressed as described.

2. An eraser device comprising a ferrule having oppositely disposed longitudinally extending slots opening through one end of the ferrule, an eraser, a band encircling the eraser intermediate the ends of the latter and having oppositely disposed longitudinally extending fins, said band. frictionally removably fitting into said ferrule with said fins in the respective slots to limit insertion of the band and eraser into the ferrule, said fins projecting from the ferrule to serve as finger pieces for manipulating the band and eraser.

3. An eraser device comprising a ferrule having oppositely disposed longitudinally extending slots opening through one end of the ferrule, an eraser, a split metal band having a crimp intermediate its ends forming a fin and its free ends when pressed together forming another fin, said band encircling said eraser intermediate the ends of the latter and being frictionally removably fitted into said ferrule with said fins in the respective slots, said fins serving as finger pieces for manipulating the band and the eraser and said split band being releasable from the eraser to permit adjustment of the band on the eraser when the band and eraser are removed from the ferrule.

4. An eraser comprising a ferrule having a longitudinally extending slot opening through one end thereof, an eraser, a split metal band encircling said eraser frictionally removably fitted into said ferrule with the free ends of the band in said slot whereby engagement of said free ends with the end of the slot limit insertion of the band into the ferrule and said split band is releasable from the eraser to permit adjustment of the band on the eraser when the band and eraser are removed from the ferrule.

HENRY J. ROTH. 

